With newly-opened stores at The Dubai Mall and Mall of the Emirates, MOJEH speaks to the design duo responsible for IRO Paris. The men behind the brand — brothers Arik and Laurent Bitton — discussed the birth of their contemporary label, Middle Eastern style, and a return to eveningwear.
Tell us about Iro Paris. The name comes from the way we pronounce “hero”, it sounds like “iro”. We like to be fully behind the brand by sharing our inspirations and projects with our customers, as it’s something you never see – the behind the scenes. We come from a music background, which is very ironic in our collections.
What has inspired you for the AW19 collection? The AW19 collection was inspired by the parties of the ’80s and ’90s, the sexy, shiny dresses, but styled in a soft way. In the ’00s, especially in America, we saw people wearing jeans and a sweatshirt to work and then wearing sexy dresses in the evening to go out. We believe that today we are coming back to that, dressing cool and casual in the day and then sexy in the evening. There is a need for seduction in our nightlife.
Why do you think the collection will do well in the Middle East? We believe that the region loves to enjoy life, to share moments and parties, and live in the moment with all the intensity that brings.
What do you admire about the style of the women in the Middle East? Today, with all the social networking, fashion is more globalised, so we see cool girls in the Middle East just as we see cool girls all around the world. We are excited by the fact there are so many of these cool girls who can repurpose different looks and perceptions of fashion. We are convinced that the Middle East has a lot to say about fashion.
What are your favourite pieces in the collection and why? All the sexy and shiny dresses! We are big fans of eveningwear, so we came back to it. We also love the oversized coats and high-waisted trousers that can be mixed with big knits and a high-waisted belt.
Visit the IRO Paris stores at Mall of the Emirates (+971 4 222 1890) and The Dubai Mall (+971 4 362 7500)
